Supermarket Madness
by Drama-Duchess
Summary: An armed robbery at a supermarket goes wrong and leaves Ephram badly injured.
1. Last At The Checkout

Disclaimer: The characters still don't belong to me. Just having some additional fun with them. But I'll give them back in one piece - I promise!! *innocent grin*  
  
Author's Note: My second fanfic here! I've got such good reviews on my first fanfic, that I've decided to do another one. All your comments are greatly appreciated!!!  
  
Title: Supermarket Madness  
  
Chapter 1: Last at the Checkout  
  
"Hey Ephram! Couscous or potato?" Andy yelled down an aisle of the supermarket holding up a box of mashed potato mix in one hand and a box of couscous mix in the other.  
  
"Potato!" Ephram yelled back as Andy tossed the mashed potato mix into his shopping cart. Ephram disappeared into the next aisle with his shopping cart.  
  
"Dad! Coffee. Decaf or Caf?" Ephram hollered sticking his head out from the end of the aisle.  
  
"Decaf!" Andy called back.  
  
The supermarket was called "Greenfield SuperMart". It was supposed to be Everwood's first real supermarket, which opened a few months ago. Business was booming. It was the hype of the town because there had never been a really big market to hit Everwood until now. Ephram, however, was unimpressed. Practically nothing when compared to a Pathmark or a Food Emporium back in New York.  
  
Grocery shopping had officially begun for the Brown family. They always opt to do the task just once a month for they were modern men and the typical modern man dreaded any form or thought of shopping. This was how they did their monthly shopping - wake up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday, drop Delia off at Nina's, beat the mid-day crowd by being the first people to arrive at the supermarket, divide the shopping list in half, split up using two shopping carts, buy everything in bulk and economy size, meet up at the cash register and get out of there as fast as possible. Lately, they had incorporated this event into a race. They were trying to set an all time record for one hour.  
  
It had been quite early and the Brown's were one of the first customers. Though, there were also others who shared their shopping mentality early in the morning. Only one cash register was open for checkout. But that was ok. The Brown team had their system. Andy worked his way thru the produce section first, then moved to the canned/bottled goods aisle, then the baking aisle, then down the household cleaner aisle, make a left and it's the raw meat section. Ephram's route was the bread/cereal aisle first, next was the beverage/snack aisle, then toiletries, then it's over to the frozen foods section in the back, and finishing off at the dairy counter. It was a well-mapped plan.  
  
Ephram stuck his feet thru the metal holes on the bottom of his shopping cart and rode it like a scooter. He maneuvered himself easily around each aisle grabbing items off the shelves and dropping them into the cart as he whizzed by. This was how he always managed to make it to the checkout line before Andy.  
  
Andy found Ephram waiting patiently at the checkout area leaning against his loaded cart while reading the latest copy of the National Enquirer. Andy's cart squeaked from the heaviness.  
  
"So, what took you so long?" Ephram mocked without looking up from his newspaper.  
  
"What? We're done and with 20 minutes to spare." Andy replied checking his watch.  
  
"We'll be outta here in approximately 8 minutes! Yes! A record!" Ephram confirmed as he noticed there was only one other person on line before them.  
  
Out in 8 minutes is an understatement. They were placing their groceries on the conveyor belt when two shady characters burst into the supermarket.  
  
"OK everybody, this is a stick up! Nobody move." The shorter man yelled as his silent partner stood beside him with hands stuffed in his coat pockets.  
  
'A Stick up? In Everwood? The same little town that has a crime rate of, hmm let's see, zero?' Ephram thought curiously.  
  
The silent partner suddenly pulled out a .45 Glock automatic and fired two shots into the ceiling. Startled by the loud noise, everyone dodged for cover. He pointed his pistol steadily around the room.  
  
Ephram and Andy ducked quickly behind their shopping carts. He looked at his father in absolute horror. In all the 15 years of his life in New York, Ephram had never been involved in an armed robbery. But this wasn't New York, this was Everwood, Colorado. This wasn't supposed to happen.  
  
"Everybody up. NOW!!" The shorter man yelled as the silent partner rounded up the remainder of the people shopping in other aisles and brought them to the front. Everyone stood with their hands up.  
  
"You!" The shorter man addressed to the cashier girl. Her nametag read 'Trudy' and she was so frightened she started crying.  
  
"Give me all you have in the register and bring me to the safe in the back." He demanded as he produced a black burlap bag. The shorter man was a plump fellow in his 40's with a receding hairline and dramatic wrinkles around his beady black eyes.  
  
Trudy fumbled with the cash register as the silent partner scrutinized the hostages from head to toe. They planned it well. They knew the armored truck came to collect money from the safe on the last Saturday of each month. And there were less people in the store on an early Saturday morning.  
  
"Hey Stan, look at these people. They look rich." The silent partner finally spoke noticing the Rolex watch on Andy's wrist. The silent partner was a tall well-built man in his mid-thirties with a bleached gold crew cut and harsh eyes. He wore a blue flannel lumberjack coat with denim jeans and black and white wing-tipped shoes.  
  
"Hm. You are right. All of you - empty your belongings here." Stan instructed as Trudy placed the last of the cash register money into the bag. "Money, wallets, jewelry, watches. Let's go people. NOW! And Mr. Trigger-happy here won't have to shoot anyone."  
  
There were only eight people in the entire store. Aside from Andy and Ephram, there was Trudy the cashier, the stock boy from the back, and four other customers. All of which were equally petrified.  
  
"It's ok, Ephram. Just do as he says." Andy coaxed. Ephram remembered his New York street-smart survival technique. If you ever get in a situation, stay calm. They are only out to steal your valuables. They won't hurt you if you don't provoke them. Just give them what they want and they will leave you alone. It's easier said than done. Especially when your clammy hands were shaking so violently.  
  
The hostages striped themselves of their valuables and came up to Stan one by one placing their belongings into the burlap bag while the silent partner intimidated everyone with the Glock. He gawked at each person. The last to contribute was Ephram, who emptied out his jacket pockets - the discman, cell phone, wallet, his beloved Swiss-Army watch, bubble gum wrappers, dirty tissues, and everything else. He was too nervous to sort them out. Satisfied, Stan was about to walk away.  
  
"Waitaminute." The silent partner stopped. "The kid forgot this." The silent partner said as he seized the small shiny charm necklace around Ephram's neck. It was a flat round gold pendant the size of a dime with an embossed image of an angel on a thin gold chain. The silent partner ripped the necklace off Ephram's neck and turned to put it in the bag.  
  
"Hey! You can't have that! Give it back!!" Ephram sprung to life. Andy tried to call him back but Ephram found his rage.  
  
The silent partner swung around angrily and before Ephram knew it, he was boxed over the ear with the butt of the pistol. Ephram was struck with such force that he landed flat on his back a few feet away. His head hit the floor hard and the last sound he heard was his father calling his name in concern and then a loud buzzing noise took over. The room got excruciatingly bright and darkness came almost instantly.  
  
* end of chapter 1 * 


	2. Playing Hero

Chapter 2: Playing Hero  
  
He had no idea how long he had been knocked out. But when Ephram woke, his head was reeling and his ears were still ringing. He looked around and realized he was alone.  
  
'Where did everyone go?' He thought as he touched the side of his head where it stung. He felt something sticky and looked at his hand. A big smear of blood magically appeared on his palm.  
  
He tried to stand up but his knees buckled under him and fell back down. He was successful upon the third try. He knew he had to get help. He headed for the enter/exit doors, but both doors were locked. He found his way back to the cash register in search for a phone. He found one under the counter and dialed the number for the Everwood Police Station.  
  
He was relaying to the police officer what had happened when he thought he heard a noise in the distant. He whispered into the receiver that someone was coming and had to hang up. The officer advised him to stay on the line but he didn't listen. He just told them to send help immediately and hung up.  
  
Ephram ducked behind the big toilet paper display and followed the muffled sounds. He wobbled to the manager's office area where the safe was kept. Ephram didn't know what he would do, but his father was in there and he had to know if he was alright.  
  
The door that led into the office was ajar. Ephram crawled in and hid behind a big fern plant. The voices were becoming more audible as he approached the inner office. He peered thru the glass window and saw Stan stuffing bills into another burlap bag. Everyone was backed up against the wall. He glanced around the room for his father and saw that he was fine.  
  
Ephram saw the silent partner waving his .45 Glock automatic in the air and scaring the wits out of the women hostages. Andy tried to intervene. The silent partner pointed the pistol at Andy. And that was when Ephram lost his balance leaning on a chair and fell over with a thump. The silent partner pounced out of the inner office and grabbed Ephram by the back of his coat.  
  
"Well, we found ourselves a rat." Silent man teased as he held Ephram in one arm and the Glock in the other.  
  
"No, leave him alone!" Andy panicked. "Take what you want. Just let him be."  
  
"Is that your daddy? Baby boy? Huh? How would you like to swallow some bullets for lunch?" The silent partner grunted as he pressed the mouth of the pistol against Ephram's cheek. Ephram got so scared he nearly wet in his pants. He turned pale green with fear and his whole body shook. By now, it was apparent that the silent partner got his kicks out of threatening people. He was the dangerous one. The one to be afraid of. Not Stan.  
  
"Will you quit playing around?" Stan said to his silent partner coolly as he swung the loot over his shoulder.  
  
They ordered everyone out of the office and back into the checkout area. The silent partner was still holding Ephram in a tight grip. The throbbing pain in Ephram's head pounded against his temples and he could hardly walk straight. Each time his step staggered, the silent partner would pick him up by the back of the coat and drag him along as Andy watched worriedly.  
  
As soon as they entered the checkout area, they heard police sirens approaching in the distant. Just about everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"You! You little rat called the cops?" The silent partner shook Ephram hard. Ephram closed his eyes. He was dizzy from the shaking. "Alright you low-lives, this kid is our ticket outta here so anybody moves a muscle and you'll get a bullet hole in your head. Got that?" The silent partner was not so silent anymore. He waved the Glock slowly in a sweeping motion around the room not sure who to point it to.  
  
"Why don't you let him go and take me instead? Look at him, he can't even stand." Andy suggested impatiently.  
  
"Shut up, old man." The silent partner said pointing the Glock at Andy and held Ephram in a tight bearhug.  
  
Ephram had to do something. He tried to remember what he'd learned in that self-defense class he once enrolled in from his days in New York. But that part of his life was so far away, the memory wasn't as vivid as it used to be. He never felt a need for that class until now. His arms were pinned down.  
  
Then remembered the 'mule kick'. Ephram brought his knee and foot up as far as he could and slammed his heel backwards hitting his assailant hard in the knee. The silent partner yelped in pain as Ephram struggled free of his grasp. He was running to his father when the bullets started flying. Ephram knocked Andy over in the process of running so fast and they both toppled over onto the floor. Shrieks filled the air as everyone scattered for cover.  
  
* end of chapter 2 * 


	3. Who's Hit?

Chapter 3: Who's hit?  
  
When the gunfire stopped, the checkout area looked like a war zone. There were overturned carts, shattered displays, walls ridden with bullet holes, food and liquid spills on the floor, and the smell of gunpowder engulfed the area.  
  
Lying on his back, Andy's heart hammered painfully against his chest as the gunshots ceased. His heartbeat was so loud he heard it thru his ears. And the nagging pinch in his side was no better. He thought he was having a heart attack. Andy felt something wet upon his chest. He looked down to find a mass of dark red blood covering the front of his button down plaid shirt.  
  
'I'm shot.' Andy thought in disbelief. 'I can't believe it - I've been shot!'  
  
He started to panic. His anxiety overtook him and he closed his eyes tight. The heart pounding increased tremendously. The pain was unbearable. His breathing became extremely difficult as thousands of thoughts and images raced thru his mind.  
  
'I can't die. With Julia gone, who's going to take care of Ephram and Delia? I can't leave now. Please God, help me.' Andy prayed.  
  
'Please let me live. Ephram and I just had our breaking moment and things were beginning to work out. It can't end like this. We haven't had a chance to really bond. Please don't take this away from me. Not now. Not yet.' Andy continued to pray.  
  
Fran Michaels was the person within reaching distance to Andy. She was one of the customers and the wife of old Jacob Michaels, who owned the Everwood Hardware Depot. She crawled over to Andy.  
  
"Are you ok, Dr. Brown?" Fran inquired. Then she saw the bloodstains. "You're hurt!!" Andy opened his eyes and found Fran hovering over him.  
  
"You have to help me." Andy gasped for air. "I can't move." 'I won't move,' he thought. His life was gradually slipping away from him. He knew was dying and didn't want Ephram to see him this way. It would freak him out.  
  
There were things he wanted to tell Ephram that he either never had the chance to or kept putting off. Andy didn't think Ephram knew how much he loved him and how proud he was of him. There were still numerous goals he needed to accomplish in this lifetime. He knew he wasn't the perfect father he was hoping to be. A medical profession meant dedication and long hours - he knew that from the start. But he would've gladly given it all up if he only knew how much his negligence would affect his kids. Moving to Everwood after his wife's death was supposed to be a second chance for him and his kids to get reacquainted. There were so many things he didn't know about Ephram and Delia, and there were things they didn't know about him. And now he was going to die. It wasn't fair.  
  
The pain came mostly from the tightness in his chest. He wasn't sure if it was because he was so scared or if he was going into cardiac arrest. Part of him needed to see Ephram one last time before he dies. Not only to tell him what to do and where everything was, but most of all, that he loved him. It was effortless to tell Delia that he loved her on a daily basis because she forgave easier than Ephram. Delia expressed her feelings whereas Ephram suppressed his.  
  
"OK, hold still. I'm going to check it out." Fran tried to be calm as she nervously flipped open Andy's jacket. He wondered why he didn't feel any pain from the wound itself. It was almost as if he felt detached from his body.  
  
Fran cringed at the sight of Andy's blood soaked shirt. She unbuttoned his shirt with her spindly fingers and a puzzled look grew on her face.  
  
"How bad is it?" Andy questioned preparing himself for the worst possible answer. 'Andy, I hate to break it to ya, but you only have minutes to live,' he thought. He was ready to burst into tears.  
  
"Dr. Brown, where are you hit? I don't see anything." Fran exclaimed as she searched for the bullet entry wound.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Andy said in confusion. "The blood's coming from my chest."  
  
"Um, you're not hurt. Here, feel for yourself." She said as she lifted one of Andy's hands and placed it on his chest. "I.I don't think this is your blood."  
  
Andy ran his hand over his entire torso. There was no wound. "If this is not my blood, then whose - Dear God NO!" He sat up and looked around for Ephram. He spotted Ephram about seven feet away. He appeared to be lying motionless on his side with his back towards Andy.  
  
"Ephram?" Andy cried as he scrambled over to his son. The first thing he noticed was reddish-black caked blood on Ephram's tan jacket about three inches below the left shoulder blade. Andy turned his son over gently to face him. Ephram's chest heaved and his eyes fluttered open.  
  
Andy was terrified when he saw the blood seeping on Ephram's chest. Apparently, the bullet entered his back and exited his chest right below the rib cage. He searched for the answers in his father's eyes.  
  
"Dad?" Ephram murmured. "What.. "  
  
"You've been shot." Andy said trying to remain calm as he took off his jacket and used it to apply pressure over the wound to keep it from bleeding.  
  
Everything happened so quickly. Ephram didn't know a bullet went thru his body. He remembered hearing shots fired and running into his father. He felt a jab in the chest and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor with the wind knocked out of him. A nasty smell of gunpowder mingled with something else encircled him. Ephram wasn't aware that the odor came from a mix of gun smoke and his burning flesh. The pain didn't come to him until he saw the blood.  
  
"I've been shot?!" Ephram squeaked in shock. "Oh my God!!" He moaned as he realized for the first time that his chest was covered with fresh blood.  
  
"It's OK, son. Don't look at it. Look at me."  
  
"Am I going to die? I'm going to die, aren't I?" Ephram sobbed frantically. Tears ran down his face. "It hurts."  
  
"I'm not going to let you die. Not if I can help it." Andy said as he unbuttoned the first three buttons of Ephram's shirt.  
  
* end of chapter 3 * 


	4. Hanging On

Chapter 4: Hanging On  
  
"NO, NO, NO. It wasn't supposed to turn out this way." Stan exploded at his silent partner. "You shot the kid. We were just gonna get the money and get out of here. Nobody was supposed to get hurt." He was panicking.  
  
The phone by the cash register rang. Stan picked it up on the 5th ring.  
  
"If you don't get us what we want, we are going to use these lovely people here for target practice." He shouted into the receiver and listened to the person on the other end.  
  
"We want a car. You've got 30 minutes or people start dropping like flies. Got that?!" Stan slammed the phone down. The silent partner gathered the hostages.  
  
"Please, my son needs medical attention. Let them help him. Let him go." Andy pleaded.  
  
"You're askin' for a bullet in your skull, old man. Shut the hell up if you know what's good for ya." The silent partner retorted. "If the kid dies, the kid dies."  
  
Andy held Ephram in his arms as he applied pressure to the entry and exit wounds. Ephram, drenched in sweat, was slowly spilling pints of blood. His breathing came in terrible labored pants as his body temperature rose. His black hair matted against his forehead.  
  
"My heart feels like it's going to explode." Ephram said softly between breathes. He winced in pain and closed his eyes for a moment.  
  
"Ephram, open your eyes. It's important that you stay awake. I don't want you going into shock. Keep talking." Andy instructed. Ephram looked helplessly at his father. His eyes told Andy that he was mortified. "It'll be ok. Don't be scared. I'm here."  
  
"Dad?" Ephram whispered.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"You know I love you, right? And Delia too." Ephram said after a short pause.  
  
"Of course I know." Andy said surprisingly.  
  
"Well, just in case - "  
  
"Just in case nothing, Ephram. You are going to be fine." Andy cut him off. 'Don't cry Andy, Don't cry. He'll get scared if he sees you bawling your eyes out,' Andy thought holding back this anger and tears. Ephram fell silent.  
  
"So, you want to fill me in on the story about that necklace that got you all worked up?" Andy asked trying desperately to change the subject.  
  
"It was mom's. She gave it to me the day before my piano recital." Ephram swallowed hard. "The day before she died. She said it was for good luck." A deep breath. "I've never taken it off since. It's the only valuable thing I own. I can't let anyone take the last piece of mom away from me."  
  
"Ephram, I had no idea." Andy was amazed at how little he took notice of his son this past year. He made a mental note that when they got out of this situation, he would have to pay closer attention.  
  
"That's why I got pissed when he took it." Ephram coughed softly. Andy wiped the dried blood away from the cut on the side of Ephram's head where the butt of the Glock had struck him.  
  
Worriedly, Andy noticed how Ephram's skin was slick with perspiration and his breathing pattern had become more irregular.  
  
"Don't press so hard. It hurts bad enough." Ephram moaned.  
  
"Sorry, but I have to stop the bleeding." Andy replied. He knew his son was getting worse. Ephram grunted in pain. He fought to keep his eyes focused but the dizziness would only make his eyes cross. He tried to shake it off.  
  
"Hey, what do you think you're doing? You'd better stay with me." Andy said loudly into Ephram's ear. Ephram's eyes shot open again. "Talk to me."  
  
"I can't." Ephram whined.  
  
"Yes, you can. Tell me about last Thanksgiving. Go on." Andy had to keep Ephram awake as long as possible.  
  
"Why do I have to tell you? You know what happened. You were there."  
  
"Tell me again."  
  
"It was just you, me and Delia. The first Thanksgiving without mom. None of us knew the secret to baking a juicy turkey. It's always moist on the outside but dry as a bone in the inside. So we invented our own way." Ephram paused for a couple of long breaths.  
  
"Yea, then what?"  
  
"Instead of basting the turkey every half an hour, you - you brought home these syringes and we filled them up with melted butter and injected it into the turkey." Ephram finished. Andy's heart softened as he saw Ephram's weak smile.  
  
"And did it work?" Andy questioned. 'He looks so much like Julia,' Andy thought as he gazed into Ephram's greenish-gray eyes.  
  
"Yea. For the most part." He tried to laugh but was caught in a painful coughing fit.  
  
The phone rang. Stan picked it up almost immediately. He was edgy. There was no telling how many cops were out there. They called to tell him the getaway car is out front. Let the hostages go. He hung up the phone.  
  
"Grab that girl, we are getting outta here! The car's out front." Stan ordered his silent partner as he pointed to Trudy, the cashier girl. The silent partner pulled the bawling Trudy from where she'd been sitting and dragged her halfway across the room. Stan grabbed the loot and unlocked the door as his silent partner pointed the pistol against Trudy's temple.  
  
Everyone watched the three moved cautiously out of the supermarket, including Andy. Thru the corner of his eye, he realized Ephram was awfully still and no longer frantically gasping for breath. He directed his attention to his son, whose eyes were shut tight.  
  
In his darkness, Ephram heard a familiar voice calling his name. But it wasn't his father. It was a female voice. The melodic voice was comforting and soothing almost like as if she was singing his name. It was mysterious yet entrancing. He could've sworn he heard this voice before. But it was pitch black and he saw no one no matter how hard he squinted.  
  
"Ephram." The voice beckoned.  
  
"Where are you?" Ephram called.  
  
"Ephram." The voice beckoned again.  
  
"Mom!" Ephram said excitedly as he finally recognized the voice.  
  
* end of chapter 4 * 


	5. Lucky Charms

Chapter 5: Lucky Charms  
  
"Mom?" Ephram murmured in his troubled sleep as he woke up to an ear- splitting headache.  
  
"Hi, sleepy head." Andy greeted as Ephram opened his eyes slowly to find his father smiling down on him.  
  
"Dad? Where am I?" Ephram groaned. Startled, he attempted to sit up but the dull pain in his chest prohibited him from being too successful at it and he was forced to lie back down.  
  
"Easy now Ephram. You're in the hospital. Thanks for scaring the hell out of me." Andy joked. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Hurts when I breathe and feels like I'm buried under a ton of bricks." Ephram winced. He noticed his chest was taped tightly and gauze bandages wrapped around his head. "What happened? How did I end up here?"  
  
"After the two men left, you went into shock. Luckily, an ambulance was waiting outside as a precaution. We rushed you to the hospital. Barely alive by the time we got you into the O.R. You suffered a concussion and your left lung collapsed and we had to hook you up to a respirator for three days until you were strong enough to breathe on your own. But you just hung on. I tell you, there's something magical about that necklace."  
  
"Huh?" Ephram asked confusedly.  
  
"You know, the necklace in your hand right now."  
  
Ephram didn't realize it before but he felt something cold in his hand. His motor functions and ability to feel were slowly coming back to him. He pulled his hand closer to see what he was holding. He opened his palm and in it was the gold chain with the little angel embossed charm that was taken away from him during the robbery.  
  
"What? How?" Ephram stammered.  
  
"Everyone got their possessions back after the cops caught the two guys. They let the cashier girl go after they got into the car. They didn't get too far. I heard there was a police car chase and when they ran out of gas, that's when they were caught." Andy explained. "They turned out to be a couple of out-of-towners staying at the Inn for the past three months."  
  
Ephram looked at the necklace curiously. He noticed the thin chain had broken when it was ripped off his neck.  
  
"Two days ago, it didn't look like you were going to make it. You were very weak. I was afraid for the worse. But then I put that chain in your hand and you took a turn for the better. I think this charm really IS good luck, Ephram. It brought you back to me." Andy's voice shook with emotion. "Maybe your mother did have something to do with it."  
  
"Dad, I heard mom's voice."  
  
"It's funny because you kept calling for her in your delirium."  
  
"I couldn't see her but I wanted to follow her voice. It was so hypnotic."  
  
"What did she say?"  
  
"Nothing really. She just kept saying my name. It was weird."  
  
"I'm glad you found your way back. I love you Ephram. I don't know what I would do without you." Andy said as tears started to well up in Ephram's glossy eyes upon those heart-felt words.  
  
"Did you know you struck so much sympathy when you were unconscious that all the nurses here wanted to volunteer their home care services to personally nurse you back to health?" Andy continued on a lighter note.  
  
"Whoopee. Don't I feel special." Ephram rolled his eyes.  
  
"The town is considering you a local hero now."  
  
"Me?! Really?" Ephram sounded surprised.  
  
"Yes you. If you hadn't called the cops, no one would've known about the robbery. Plus, you took a bullet. Heroes always make self-sacrifices. You can even call it your very own red badge of courage." Andy laughed.  
  
"Sure. My battle wound. The price to pay to be a hero."  
  
"You'll probably make the papers. I can see the headlines now - 'Boy Risks Life For Everwood Supermarket Shoppers' How about that?" Andy attempted to be humorous.  
  
"Please dad, don't. It hurts when I laugh." Ephram replied trying to repress a chuckle.  
  
~ End ~ 


End file.
